Jaimee

Beep

Beep

Beep

I wake up at the beeping sound of a red lit room and a steel bed. Standing up, I had this unsteady feeling. My legs wobbly as I take some steps, but the longer I walk around the better I walk. Looking around this 4x4 room which fitted a bed at the far end and a little space to roam around, there's something under the bed that caught my eye.

A bag?

A box?

As I kneal under the bed and pull it out. There's a set: black shirt with a small red mark on the front-top-left corner - placed on the heart, blue pair of jeans, and black leather jacket on top. Underneath the pile of clothes, is a bag. Inside: a few canned foods, a couple of bottled waters, an extra set of clothes.

I grab the pile of clothes on the bag, wearing the pants on first. Putting on the shirt made me catch a glimpse at a red glow on my arm.

A mark.

I never knew I got a tattoo before? Did I?

Thinking back made me realize, I don't even know who I am. I felt a rush flowing in me, making me breathe heavily.

Calm down. I tell myself. Breathing in and out, three times. As my body calmed down, I try to remember who I am. And one thing registered in my mind.

Jaimee.

That's my name.

What now? What am I doing here? Was I imprisoned?

'Hello...? Hello? Are you awake?' Before I can ask myself any further questions, a voice echoed through my ears. A girl. Was I turning insane? I must be hallucinating.

'Hey, I know you're there, awake, alive. You're not insane and you most definately ain't hallucinating. So talk to me.'

This voice gives me chills doen my spine. But I respond, 'Ahm... Okay... Who are you..? Where am I..? And... WHY THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING IN MY MIND?!'

'Woah there, tiger. Chillax, I'm gonna get you out of there, but I need you to cooperate. As for your other questions, I'll answer them as soon as we get out of here.'

Somehow, for some reasons, she seems to try to sound calm about it. But I said, 'okay, what am I gonna do now?'

'What's in the room?'

'Well... A bed, a bag with stuff in it, a set of clothes...'

'Do you see the exit?'

'Yes. But it's close.'

'Okay. I need you to stand back, far from the exit as possible. And find cover.'

I grab the bag and move to the far corner of the room. Lifting the bed sidewards to make cover. Soon, the door budged open with a hard thud. Then a silver-haired girl appeared, snatching my hand and pulling me out the room to a hallway. Turning from one corner to the next.

I kept hearing screams and splashes near us, but she turns corners like she knew the place well.

After a couple more turns, we were both breathing heavily. Although I bend and grabbed my leg for support while gasping for air, she still looks alert, as if some kind of ambush will happen if she doesn't.

To break the silence, I ask, "So... Wh-" She swiftly cup her hand on my mouth while signalling me to be quiet.

'Talk in your mind. We don't want any klinkers to hear us and track us down.'

'Klinkers? What's that? And who are you?'

'The name's Azriel, but you can call me Az. Welcome to the world of survival.' She said it so serious that I was going to believe her, but then she flashed a smile and started giggling. 'Just kidding. This is what you would call a maze, and those Klinkers are what's going to prevent us from getting out of here. The sooner we find the exit the better. You with me, Jaimee?'

'H-how'd you know my name...?'

'Oh, haven't I mention..? I'm telepathic, and I heard you saying you name before I came barging in.'

Stunned. 'Oh, okay.' Was all I can say.

She clips her finger into mine and pulls me to a walk. 'By the way, what colour are you?'

I look at her, curiously. But the silence made her realize why.

'The mark on you arm. Its glow tells what colour you are.'

That made me recall the colour of the glow I saw when I was dressing up. But finally I said, 'red.'

'Awesome! What's you're specialty? Super strength? Super speed? Super..?'

The silence made her realize that I still don't know what she's talking about. Then her grip around my finger got tighter and she went to a halt. I did, too.

Klink...

When I heard the klinking, my heart raced in fear. It made me uncomfortable standing at the middle of the nowhere. Not knowing what's out there, makes it much worse.

Klink

The sound got louder as the long as the klicking went on. I kept shifting, looking front and back. As louder as it gets, it makes my adrenaline pump up. But then, the sound stop. And the place went dead silent.

A few moments later, the walls shifted and we were greeted by a back of huge blob-like creature with metals covering its body. It was munching on something. The hall was too dark to clearly see what it was.

I was about to gasp but Azriel quickly cups my mouth again. Pushing me backwards, slowly and carefully. A few more steps and I stepped onto something slimy making me slip and crash down hard.

The blob froze. Azriel hurriedly pulls me up, grabs my wrist and ran the opposite direction.

Klink...

Klink...

Klink

Klink klink klink

The further we ran the faster the klinking. And when I took a short glance at my back, there it was - chasing after us. With one great charge, it leaped above us and crashed, shifting itself to face us. But Azriel turns a corner and dashes, still grabbing my wrist.

At the far end, the right wall started to crumple and.. Fly..? Towards the blob, striking it straight at its middle. It let out a loud squeak, loud enough to make us deaf. Azriel doesn't seem to be affected by the noise, she turned, grabbing me again and ran.

"What... was... that...?" I said in between pants.

'Klinker. Just keep running. It'll stay at our tails until it catches us. We have to lose it. And fast!'

Klink...

Klink klink

Klink klink klink klink

That sound made me more anxious, making my adrenaline pump up that I thought my heart would explode.

I snatch my hand from Azriels grasp and turn to face the klinker. It crash onto the far end as it made its turn but quickly got grip of the floor and ran towards us. Azriel grabs my wrist, again. But I swift snatch it back, running towards the klinker. Making a leap to the wall on my left, kicking it, throwing myself to the klicker, it kept running to Azriel but suddenly stopped when it heard the wall crumble. Moving its head toward me.

And there I noticed, it has no eyes, no nose, and small ears. It began to open its mouth but a ball-crumbled steel shot in its mouth making it unable to close its mouth. Clunching my hand to a fist, I focused my energy into this one shot. Hitting the steel in its mouth, and the steel went through its head.

As I landed to the ground. The blob splashed and melted to the ground. I lost balance, but before I could hit floor, Azriel caught me, helping me as we walk away from the blob. Seeking for shelter.

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